Constitution

South Staffordshire & District Beekeepers Association Constitution – October 2015 Amended March 2017 and 2018

Confirmed by the Association AGM March 2018

• Title:
  The name of the Association shall be the South Staffordshire and District Beekeepers Association.

• Objectives:
  To promote and further the craft of beekeeping.

• Affiliation:
  The Association shall be affiliated the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) and may be affiliated to any other appropriate organisation as may be determined by members at any general meeting of the Association.

• Membership
  • The Association shall consist of Honorary Life Members, Honorary Friend, Registered Members, Partner Members, Country Members, Associate Members, Junior Members and Friends.
  • Members (excluding Junior Members and Friends) shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Association.
  • In recognition to services rendered to beekeeping, any person who is not a member of the Association may be elected an Honorary Life Member by resolution proposed by the Committee and carried by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast at the Annual General Meeting. This sub-paragraph does not confer the right to vote at any General Meetings of the Association.
  • Registered Members, and Partner Members shall pay an annual subscription, the aggregate of the amount determined in accordance with rule 5(a) and (c)(i), (ii) and (iii).
  • Country Members shall be persons who do not own or manage bees or may be persons who are members of other organisations affiliated to the BBKA. Annual subscription shall be the aggregate of rule 5(a) and (c)(i).
  • Junior Members shall be beekeepers who on the 1^st January have not attained 18 years. The annual subscription shall be in accordance with rule 5(a) and (c)(i), (ii) and (iii).
  • Associate Members shall be persons who do not own or manage bees or may be persons who are members of other organisations affiliated to the BBKA.  The annual subscription shall be the aggregate of amounts determined in accordance with rules 5a) and 5c) i) ii) and iii).
  • Friend of the Association is one who is not affiliated to the BBKA. The annual subscription shall be in accordance with rule 5(a).
  • The Committee may, by a resolution carried by not less than three quarters of the whole Committee, terminate the membership of any Member whose conduct, in the opinion of the Committee, is detrimental to the Association provided that not less than three months’ notice in writing is given, by the Honorary Secretary to the Member concerned, of the intention to propose a resolution for the termination of membership under this rule, furnishing the reason for the proposed action and giving the member the opportunity of attending the meeting and putting his case.

• Subscriptions
  • Annual subscriptions shall be at such amounts as the Members shall, from time to time, determine by voting in any General Meeting and shall take effect from the first day of January immediately following.
  • Annual subscriptions shall be due for payment on joining the association and thereafter on the first day of January in each year. If any member subscription remains unpaid on the 31^st March immediately following, the membership shall be deemed to have lapsed.
  • The Annual Subscription (where applicable) consists of:
    • The Association fee (registered, partner, country, friend, associate or junior member).
    • The British Beekeepers Association capitation fee (where applicable).
    • The minimum Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) premium (where applicable).

• The BBKA capitation fee and BDI premium, if applicable, shall be paid from Association funds in respect of Honorary Life Members.

• Management And Organisation
  • The business of the organisation shall be conducted by a Committee of up to twelve members consisting of four officers: President, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and up to eight other elected members.
  • The Committee shall have the power to co-opt such additional members as in its discretion it considers appropriate.
  • In the event of any vacancy occurring the Committee shall have the power to appoint a member to fill the vacancy who shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.
  • The Committee shall meet as frequently as it considers necessary, but not less than three times per year. At any meeting of the Committee a quorum shall consist of not less than five members.
  • The Committee shall have the power to appoint and dissolve all subcommittees which may in whole or part consist of co-opted members. Such subcommittees shall report to the Committee.

• Meetings
  • The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 31^st March. The business of the meeting shall include:
    • The receipt and consideration of reports and accounts of the previous year.
    • The election of:
      • A President who shall serve for a term of one year and may not normally serve more than three consecutive years. The President shall deputise for the Chairman in his absence.
      • A Chairman who shall serve for a term of one year and may not normally serve more than three consecutive years.  The Chairman shall take the chair at all meetings.
      • A Secretary who shall serve for one year and may not normally serve more than three consecutive years.
      • A Treasurer who shall serve for one year and may not normally serve more than three consecutive years.
      • Up to eight Committee Members who shall serve for one year and be eligible for re-election but who may not serve for more than three consecutive years.
      • Delegates to the British Beekeepers Association and other bodies as appropriate.
      • An Auditor
      • An Apiary Manager (Chair of Apiary Sub-committee)
      • Honorary Life Members in accordance with rules 4(b).

• Consideration of any proposal or other matter of which due notice has been given in accordance with sub-paragraph (e) below.
  1. Any other business at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting.

• The Secretary shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting if instructed to do so by the Committee or if so requested by any member provided that such a request is in writing and signed by ten Registered Members or by five members of the Committee and states in full the purpose of the meeting. The meeting shall take place within six weeks of a valid request being received by the Secretary. If the Secretary is unable to call the meeting the Chairman shall act or appoint another member to act in their stead.
  • Not less than 21 days’ notice of any General Meeting shall be given to members and the agenda shall be dispatched to all members not less than 7 days prior to the meeting.
  • 10 members or 25% of the membership or whichever was the lower shall form a quorum at any General Meeting of the Association.
  • Any members wishing to make a proposal or raise any matter shall give written notice to the Secretary not later than 30 days preceding the meeting. Any proposal shall be signed by the members proposing and seconding it. Nothing in this sub-paragraph shall prevent amendment of any such proposal at the Annual General Meeting.
  • At any General Meeting of the Association each member (Friends and Junior Members) shall be entitled to vote. The Chairman of the meeting shall if necessary have a casting vote.
  • The accidental omission to notify any member of a meeting shall not invalidate that meeting providing that the generality of members have been notified in accordance with rule 7(b) or (c).

• Conflict of Interest Policy of SSDBKA Definition

A ‘conflict of interest’ arises when the best interests of an individual trustee are, or could be, different from the best interests of the charity itself.

This may be something that affects the trustee directly, or indirectly, through a family member or friend or business partner.

Statement of Intent
SSDBKA is committed to ensuring its decisions and decision-making processes are, and are seen to be, free from personal bias and do not unfairly favour any individual connected with the charity.

Policy
It is the policy of SSDBKA to:

• Ensure every trustee understands what constitutes a conflict of interest and that
• they have a responsibility to recognise and declare any conflicts that might arise for them.
• Document the conflict and the action(s) taken to ensure that the conflict does not affect the decision making of the organisation

Procedure
When a trustee identifies that they have a potential conflict of interest they must:

1. Declare it as soon as they become aware of it
2. Ensure it is entered in the conflict of interest register (ongoing conflicts), and/or minuted in the appropriate board papers (one-off conflicts)
3. Not take part in any board discussions relating to the matter
4. Not take part in any decision making related to the matter
5. Not be counted in the quorum for decision making related to the matter

In the interests of frank and open discussion, a trustee affected by a conflict of interest must leave the room while related discussion / decision making is taking place, unless there is good reason for them to stay.

The minutes should state:

1. The declared conflict
2. That the trustee left the room, or the reason they were asked to stay.
3. That the trustee took no part in discussion or decision making on the matter
4. That the meeting was quorate (not counting the affected trustee)
5. Any other actions taken to manage the conflict

If a trustee is unsure what to declare, they should err on the side of caution and discuss the matter with the Chair for confidential guidance.

Policy adopted on 23/03/17

• Finance
  • The financial year of the Association shall be from the first day of January to the thirty first day of December inclusive.
  • The Treasurer shall be responsible for:
    • Keeping proper books of accounts recording all financial transactions of the Association.
    • Ensuing the collection of Annual Subscriptions and any other monies due to the Association.
    • Depositing monies in banking accounts held in the name of the Association.
    • Investing the funds of the Association as directed by the Association.
    • Ensuring proper disbursement of the funds of the Association in accordance with the objectives of the Association and these rules.
    • Preparing for audit an Annual Statement of Income and Expenditure and a Balance Sheet and arrange for their publication to members prior to the Annual General Meeting.
  • All cheques or other negotiable instruments drawn upon the funds of the Association shall be signed by two of its officers one of whom shall normally be the Treasurer.
  • If the Auditor’s report is not available for submission to the Annual General Meeting it shall soon thereafter as practicable be submitted to the Committee.

• Alteration To The Rules

The rules of the Association may be amended by General Meeting of the Association convened in accordance with rule 7(b) or (c) provided that a majority of the votes cast at the meeting are in favour of the resolution considered by the meeting to amend the rules. Such amendments shall be effective from the termination of the meeting at which the decision to amend the rules was made unless such amendments relate to Annual Subscriptions in which case the effective date shall be the first day of January following. While the Association enjoys Charity status no amendment to rule 2 shall be effective unless and until approved by the Charity Commissioners or others having vested in them appropriate authority under statute.

• Trustees
  In accordance with Charity Committee rules all elected Committee members will be Trustees.

• Indemnity
  An indemnity shall be afforded by the Association to all members of the Committee or any sub-committee officers for the time being against all actions proceedings costs charges losses damages or expenses that they or any of them shall or may incur or sustain by reason of any act done or omitted to be done in or about the execution of their duty in their respective offices provided that such act or omission was done in good faith. Such indemnity shall not be granted where the act or omission is done with wilful neglect or dishonesty.

1. Winding Up
   1. A proposal for winding up the Association shall be considered by an Extraordinary General Meeting convened solely for that purpose in accordance with rule 7(b) and (c) and shall be carried provided that not less than three quarters of the votes cast at the meeting are in favour.
   1. If upon winding up the Association there remains after the discharge of its debts and liabilities any property of any description the same shall not be paid to nor distributed amongst its members but shall be given to or transferred to some other charitable body or bodies having objectives similar to the objectives of the Association and providing services or benefits to beekeepers.

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A copy of the current constitution 2018 can be found here in pdf (Acrobat) format: SSDBKA Constitution 2018

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